Reviews | The Genesis of Blessings

The Genesis of Blessings

Andrew E. Walker

The Christadelphian review (from January 2017)

The Genesis of Blessings

One of the joys of our Bible Reading Planner is that as we commence each new year we also return to the start of our scriptures and read ‘the book of beginnings’, with its incomparable and majestic opening statement, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”.

We marvel again at the divine account of creation, read sadly through the details of the Fall, the violence and corruption that preceded the Flood and man’s arrogance in constructing the Tower of Babel. But we also find ourselves in more hopeful territory when we read about the promise of life through the seed of the woman, the covenant with Noah, and the rich promises made to the patriarchs. We are both informed and encouraged as the Almighty’s wonderful purpose with His creation opens up before us.

“Great and precious promises”

The title of this new book by Brother Andrew E. Walker makes clear that the ‘book of beginnings’ is essentially a book of blessings. As the author says:

“It is the word ‘promise’ more than any other that we associate with Genesis. From Adam through to Jacob we find God making ‘exceeding great and precious promises’, confirming them with an oath so that they become absolutely sure and certain. They are given with His blessing and these two words are so closely linked that some writers refer to them as promise-blessings ... It is indeed ‘the Genesis of blessings’ as it speaks of the blessing, given from the beginning, that the earth will be filled with God’s glory, manifested in the people that He has made” (page xii).

Helpful insights

This is a substantial book of over four hundred pages, but it is divided up conveniently into eight sections: “The creation record”, “Life inside the Garden”, “From Eden to Ur”, “Abraham, the friend of God”, “Chosen families – Isaac and Jacob”, “From Haran to Canaan”, “From Canaan to Egypt” and “Final blessings”. These include occasional maps, tables, genealogies, digressions and photographs. There are also two appendices, the first being a study of the word ‘blessing’ and the second a chronology of the book which shows, amongst other things, the way in which the lives of many of the characters presented to us overlapped.

As we come once again to Genesis, Brother Andrew’s very readable book provides many helpful insights to assist, excite and challenge us as we prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord.